


Crashing to a Halt

by Dalektable (orphan_account)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Accident, Accidents, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Amputation, Angst, Bakery AU, Established Relationship, M/M, Teacher Dean Winchester, oh god angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 03:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1330777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Dalektable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean just keeps making mistakes, but he's trying. And then life throws another curveball at them and Dean doesn't know how to hold himself together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Seduction and Secrecy

**Author's Note:**

> The formatting got fucked up, but this is the best I could do. There's still more to come, I promise you. I've just been writing a little each day since my laptop died on me, and wheni get that back, I'll go back to working on Legs.

Dean’s bored. Most of his weekdays are spent at home, waiting to get a call asking him to sub at the other public school or even, on occasion, the private school on the outside of town. He extended his range to the schools in the next town over, but hasn’t got any calls from there yet. He’s willing to bet they’re sticking with the substitute teachers they already know, or Adler had said something about him to make others reluctant to hire him, if even for a day.

It’s been a few months since he was fired, and they’re relying on Castiel’s bakery to keep afloat. They can still pay for all their utilities and the rent, but with the way Dean eats, they’re making sacrifices on groceries. Dean hadn’t known before moving in with his boyfriend just how expensive it was to run a shop, particularly one in a smaller town. It was amazing he managed to keep his prices as low as he did.

As it is, Dean’s having trouble keeping himself from getting drunk every day just for something to do, and ends up marathoning Dr. Sexy. At one point, he even started teaching himself to crochet, using Castiel’s yarn and hook, but he doesn’t tell anyone about the hat he tried to make.

                The point is, Dean Winchester is a thirty-six year old man relying on cakes and his boyfriend to stay alive. He feels like a kept man without the sex, because Castiel certainly hasn’t made any moves and neither has Dean. With nothing to do all day, the year plus of abstinence feels worse than it did before. He’s stranded on an island in the form of a fading salmon-colored couch.

`               He knows that if he goes on like this, he’s going to blow and do something stupid, particularly about the ‘being so horny he’s sure his balls are going to fall off’ thing. So with a great effort, he pushes himself off of the couch and presses the power button the TV remote, stretching out his legs and grabbing his keys. He’s not sure what he’s going to do yet, but figures he’ll drive until he knows.

                At some point, just driving around turns into stopping at every school to see if they have any positions opening up for the following year. Out of four towns in the area and ten schools, there are seven positions opening up soon. Three are in things he’s not qualified for, but he sends his application to the schools for the other four. There are three English teaching positions opening and one history, both of which he’s qualified to teach. Hopefully this change will be better for him.

                There are interviews in the next week, so that’ll give him something to do, at least.

                He’s driving home when he passes the private school he’s been doing spotty subbing at. For his entire career, Dean has only worked in public schools, and he prefers that. It’s where he went, and he likes to think that he’s helping these kids to a quality education they didn’t necessarily think they were going to get. But even though he doesn’t want to admit it, he’s really been enjoying the work at this place.

In a spur-of-the-moment decision, he turns into the parking lot, and gets his ass into the front office. He knows the women in the main office by now, and greets them by name.

                “Gilda. Becky,“ he says, flashing them one of his most charming Winchester smiles. Number four. It used to work like a charm when all he’d wanted was a quick hook up in a bar.

                The office smells sterile, which is likely Gilda’s doing. She likes to make sure that things are clean, orderly, and efficient. It must be Hell working with Becky, because he can see the clear difference between their workspaces. Becky’s is in a perpetual state of chaos; she keeps her papers all over the place, somehow knowing where to find what. The rest of the office is in order, and decorated with art from some of the students. It’s put together and professional, and Dean would expect nothing less of Gilda.

                While Gilda looks up to give him a smile and then a ‘you’re pulling that on me?’ look at him, Becky scrambles around all of her papers, looking for one that told her that Dean Winchester was supposed to come in that day.

                “Who were you subbing for today?” she begins asking. “Why are you so _late?_ ”

                And here it goes. Dean has to suck up his pride and suck in a deep breath, because it’s time to get serious about doing something.

                “Do you guys have any positions opening up next year?” he asks, and the words all come out in a rush. Both of them look at him blankly for a moment before turning to their computer screens to do a double check.

                “It seems Mrs. Visyak is retiring at the end of this year. She teaches AP Senior English and Classical Literature. You are qualified to teach English, right, Mr. Winchester?” She looks up at him finally, a slight smile on her face. Dean always did know he liked Gilda, and a little over a year ago, maybe he would have tried to get her number.

                “Yeah, yes, I am,” Dean says, hands shoved so far into his pockets he’s surprised they aren’t coming out the bottoms.

                “Okay,” she says, turning up the phrase at the end so that she sounds chipper. “We’ll just need a recommendation from a past supervisor and—“

                “Wait, no. I can’t do that,” he says, immediately biting his lip afterward. “He fired me. I’m not going to get shit.”

                “We can’t hire you if you don’t have a good recommendation.” At least she looks regretful of that. That school was the only one Dean’s worked at, and there isn’t anything else.

                “Can’t I get recommendation from other teachers?” Charlie had liked him, maybe she could swing something.

                “I’m sorry, Mr. Winchester, but—“

“Look,” he says, leaning on the counter. “It wasn’t fair. I’m a good teacher. I swear I am. He fired me over who I’m _dating._ I worked there for nine years before he—“

                “Who you’re dating?” Gilda asks, seeming to perk up from her resigned regret.

                “Yeah, I mean,” Dean says, rubbing the back of his head. “I had no idea he was such a homophobe.” He’s afraid of their response, and hey, it’s a valid worry that they’re going to react poorly, given how he lost his last job. But instead, both of them sit up even further.

                “I know how that feels,” Gilda begins at the same time that Becky starts making a high-pitched noise Dean can only describe as a mixture between a squeal and a fire alarm.

                “Wait, what?” is all Dean can say, backpedaling.

                “I’ve had more than a few jobs lost when my employers found out that I’m a lesbian.” Dean curses mentally; even though he’s dating Castiel and loves him, he realizes now that there would never have been a chance. “I think I may be able to bend the rules. The principal here is strictly anti-hate. I’m sure she would be willing to accept two or three recommendations from your co-workers. Just ask them to send them here, and email us your resume, and we’ll see if we want to set up an interview. “ She gives Dean a knowing smile and he walks out feeling pretty good about the job.

                Even if it is at a private school.

                When he gets home, Castiel is already home and he’s decided to keep this a secret, at least for now. If he gets the job, he’ll be able to surprise his boyfriend, and if he doesn’t, he can keep the disappointment to himself.

                When he walks through the door, he’s greeted with the smell of dinner cooking. Unable to help it, a smile graces his face and he drops his keys in the bowl Castiel bought them and walks into the kitchen to wrap his arms around Castiel. He’s making chicken pot pies, which Dean decides deserves a kiss. He leans over to press one, and then two, which soon becomes five, against Castiel’s neck.

                “Dean,” he says in warning, turning around in Dean’s arm to press his face into Dean’s neck and just inhale. Dean tries not to stiffen, because really, Castiel has no idea what he does to Dean. Just being close to him now is enough to spring graphic thoughts and subsequently, unfortunate boners. Castiel seems to notice his uncomfortableness, and retreats, looking especially deflated. Dean wants to explain it to him, but he doesn’t want to make Castiel uncomfortable, or make him feel pressured to do something he’s not ready for just because Dean’s so bored he’s hornier than usual. He doesn’t say anything and the silence becomes a little more awkward.

                “Where were you this evening, Dean?” Castiel asks after the longest five minutes of Dean’s life.

                Fuck. He has to come up with a lie, and fast. He doesn’t like lying to Castiel, but it happens anyway.

                “I was just out walking,” he says, and it sounds fake even to him, but Castiel doesn’t seem to question it. He just pops the pies into the oven and sets the timer.

                “I’m glad you’re thinking more about exercise,” he says, stiffly. It’s a Castiel Dean hasn’t seen before, at least not at home. Sure, with strangers, Castiel can be stiff and uncomfortable, but that’s always been with strangers. He’s always been open and loving with Dean, willing to share and learn and grow from each other.

                Castiel leaves the kitchen, Dean feeling confused and upset in his wake.              

                Over the next week he goes through the process of a few interviews, even going back to the school and asking some of the teachers if they’ll write him a recommendation. Charlie, when she realizes why he needs one, is especially enthusiastic. She even promises to deliver her letter in person and tell them just how good of a teacher Dean is.

                To Castiel, Dean’s been going on a lot of walks lately, and Dean can see him getting more and more frustrated. He just hopes that he’ll just a job soon and will be able to tell his boyfriend the truth. Firday night of the next week, he excuses himself to bed early, and wanders back into the kitchen while he’s brushing his teeth to remind Castiel to that they need to call Sam tomorrow, but Castiels is already on the phone.

                Whomever is on the other line is speaking fast, but Dean can’t make out the tinny words.

               “I don’t want to believe that of him, Gabriel,” Castiel is saying in a hushed voice. Dean figures he’s talking about him, but he seems to have missed what they’re accusing him of. Gabriel says something else and Castiel blushes.

                “You think that’s the reason? He said he loves me, I—“ Gabriel’s voice interrupts Castiel, and he sounds insistent.

                “If you think so, maybe I will. I don’t want to lose him. Goodnight, Gabriel. I will see you tomorrow.” He hangs up and Dean has to sprint to keep himself out of sight, so that he’s spitting his toothpaste into the sink when Castiel comes into the bathroom, looking forlorn.

                They go about their rituals in silence, or as silent as they can be while brushing their teeth and gargling mouthwash, and then climb into bed. Dean’s on his back, arms behind his head, thinking about what he’s going to do when Castiel climbs on top of him, straddling him. Castiel starts to move, grinding down with his own crotch against Dean. And Dean would be lying if he says that he hasn’t had dreams that start this way before, but he doesn’t want it like this. He never thought he’d see the day when Dean Winchester, of all people, wouldn’t want to have sex, but here it is.

                Castiel has his face turned away, and Dean brings his arms up to touch Castiel’s shoulders, trying to stop him. Cas keeps going, robotically, jerking forward and back and up and down, and Dean’s getting hard, of course he is. His gorgeous boyfriend is on top of him and it’s what he’s wanted for over a year now.

                “Cas,” he says, “Cas, Castiel, what are you doing?” Castiel turns his face towards Dean, and there are tears streaking down his face. “Cas?”

                “Don’t leave me,” he says, voice choking up. The tears continue to spill down his cheeks, and Dean brings one arm up to wipe them away. Castiel stops moving, falls down against Dean, slumped with his face pressed into his neck, and he lets out a loud sob. Dean rubs his back with one hand, shifting Castiel with his other so that they’re a little more comfortable.

                “Leave you?” he asks. “Why would I leave you?”

                “You’ve been going on walks,” Castiel says, forlorn. “You hate going on walks. You’re seeing someone else, aren’t you? Please, Dean, I can have sex with you if that’s what you want, just don’t leave.”

                “Castiel,” Dean says, voice stern. “You think that I would cheat on you? _You?_ You’re perfect, you’re everything to me. I’d have to be an idiot to give you up. I haven’t been sneaking off to cheat on you, I promise.”         

                “What _have_ you been doing, then, Dean?”

                “I was going to job interviews. “

                Castiel leans back, giving Dean a skeptical look, as if to say _why would you lie to me about that?_ He doesn’t believe it, and why should he? It doesn’t make sense from an outsider’s perspective, Dean supposes.

                “Dean…” Castiel says wearily. Dean’s face is burning, although he doesn’t know why he’s so embarrassed. That’s what he’s supposed to be doing, right? Finding a job and supporting his boyfriend.

               “I swear, Cas. I just didn’t want you to get disappointed if I didn’t get hired, and I could surprise you if I did get a job. “ He presses their foreheads together, looking Castiel in the eyes and willing him to understand that he’s telling the truth.

“And if or when we have sex, I want it to be special for you, okay? I don’t want you to be upset like this.” He presses a kiss to Castiel’s forehead.

“Okay, Dean,” Castiel says, and he slides off of Dean to lie next to him in the bed, one hand resting on Dean’s chest as if to keep him from wandering off. Dean doesn’t get up until the morning.

When he does wake up, It’s to an empty bed, and he doesn’t think that he’s ever going to get used to that. With a sigh, he swings his legs over the side of the bed, thinking that he might go to the shop today to see him, especially after what happened. And he might want to kick Gabriel’s butt for making Castiel think that Dean was cheating on him. He’s making himself eggs and toast when his ell phone rings in the other room.

It takes him a few moments to find it, but there it is, wedged in between two of the couch cushions. He answers it and walks back into the kitchen so he doesn’t burn his eggs.

“Dean?” comes Becky’s slightly panicked voice through the phone.

“Yes,” he says, flipping his omelet onto a plate.

“I kind of forgot to tell you, but you have an interview scheduled today at 11.”

Dean looks at the clock for the first time since he got up; unemployed guys don’t have to check what time it is when they wake up. It’s 10:30, and driving there will take at least 20 minutes. In a moment, he’s left the eggs sitting on the plate in the kitchen, and is pulling on his coat and boots. He’s in the Impala in an impressive three minutes, pulling out of the complex and onto the road, and only five minutes later does he realize he dropped his phone on the floor.

It doesn’t matter because he made it to the school five minutes before his interview, even though he had to run into the building and he feels a little too stinky, too disheveled. He wonders if blaming Becky for it all would seem too petty. He’s waving hello to them when the principal, Pamela Barnes, steps out and gestures for him to come back into her office.

He rubs his sweaty hands on his jeans and follows her sheepishly. They take their seats in her office, which is a little bit chaotic, just not as much as Becky’s desk, and not nearly as messy as Castiel’s hair. Before he can explain his appearance (tattered jeans and a Metallica T-Shirt), she starts talking.

“Becky told me that you had to rush over here because of her, so don’t worry about it,” she says, eying his ass maybe a little too happily. “I just expect that you’ll dress more appropriately to teach the students.” He’s shocked at that, and at the woman’s casual confidence. He likes that about her, he decides, and thinks he’d like to have her as a boss. She seems a lot better than Adler, after all.

“Uh, yeah,” he says, feeling dumb. “I mean, yes. I know how to dress for school.”

“And I understand from Gilda that you were fired discriminatorily from your last job?” she says, seemingly only adding an upwards inflection to make the statement sound polite, although she has no need to ask; she knows it’s the truth. He nods anyway, shoving his hands into his pockets.

They sit there for a moment, just watching each other as if to gauge one another before Pamela speaks again.

“I have to say, I’m impressed with what your coworkers had to say about you. They seem to like you very much, and said that your students feel the same way.” And Dean doesn’t blush, dammit. But it is nice to think that there are people who have his back.

“Officially, I can’t hire you until I have completed interviews, but I would keep an ear on your phone, Dean Winchester,” she says with a smile and Dean can’t help but break out into a grin of his own. He might just have a job by next year, and at this point, with how poorly all of his other interviews had been going, he was willing to teach at private school.

“Thank you, Miss Barnes,” he says, offering his hand for her to shake.

“Please, call me Pam.”                  

“Thanks, Pam.”

He leaves with a wink and a smile to both Gilda and Becky, hands still in his pockets, and heads home. And although he’s learned his lesson about keeping things from Castiel, he’s not going to tell him just how well it went. Just in case someone better comes along and Dean doesn’t get the job. He still doesn’t want to subject Castiel to that kind of disappointment.

His food is still sitting on the counter, and he tosses it in the compost that Cas has insisted on starting. His stomach is flipping too much to eat anyway. In the haze of excitement, he cleans the house and starts on a big burger dinner so that Castiel can rest when he gets home. Gabriel has been taking more shifts at the bakery so that Castiel isn’t as tired when he gets home and so that he can spend more time with Dean, but it’s not working. Most of the time he’s too tired to even have a good conversation, and Dean misses him, which is silly because he’s right there with him.

He plans it so that the burgers will be finished by the time Castiel gets home. He has a ridiculous rule that he’s not allowed to eat his own product, so he ends up starving by the time he gets home. Gabriel, Dean is sure, doesn’t follow that rule.

He sets the table nicely, and settles himself into his own seat. Castiel doesn’t come home.

He waits for twenty minutes, and Cas still isn’t home.

And then it’s thirty minutes, and he’s getting up out of his chair to call the shop. Gabriel answers and tells Dean that Cas left at the same time he usually does. Dean’s cell phone doesn’t show any messages or missed calls, and before he knows It, he’s rushing out the door again. He gets in the Impala to drive around the neighborhood, looking for Cas, hoping for _something as long as it’s not him hurt he can handle anything but Castiel hurt he’s so good he doesn’t deserve it please if there’s a God please just don’t hurt him take me instead dammit please please please Cas just be okay._

Castiel isn’t in their neighborhood. Or in the next. Or anywhere near the bakery, and Dean’s starting to get worried.

It’s about an hour after Cas usually comes home when his phone goes off. It’s Gabriel. Hoping that he has good news and fearing that he doesn’t, Dean answers the phone, sounding strained.

“Yeah?”

“Dean. You need to get to the hospital. Castiel has been in an accident.”


	2. Stasis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problems and solutions and dealing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda rushed, but I wasn't sure what to do with it at the end. Everything I'd wanted to happen was happening, and so I just kinda...finished it. (Not the series though. There will be more, hopefully.

Dean didn’t even pay attention as he sped to the hospital. He was just there, suddenly, and pushing his way into the ER. Gabriel was there, more worried than Dean had ever seen him, and that made Dean’s nerves go haywire. Gabriel was always a free spirit, smiling and not worrying about the future. If he was worried, how bad was it?

“He’s in surgery,” Gabriel said solemnly. He had his hands clasped on his lap where he was sitting in a tortuously uncomfortable chair.

“What happened, Gabe? What happened?” Dean slides into his own chair like he’s losing all of his bones. He wasn’t sure when the adrenaline that got him there had worn off, but its absence was leaving him feeling absent in his own mind. His fingers were twitching, and he tried to calm them but it didn’t work. Instead, he just started to jiggle his left leg up and down.

“Car accident,” he said. Dean stared at him in confusion. Castiel walked everywhere. He didn’t even own a car; he wanted to be environmentally conscious and liked the exercise.

“Cas doesn’t _own_ a car, Gabe.”

“He wasn’t driving the car.”

“Oh.”

They’re silent after that, looking into their respective laps. The nurses come and go about the room, and everyone seems to be so busy, but time’s slowing down for Dean. He doesn’t know what to do, but he just sits and hopes that Castiel will be alright, because he has to be alright. Dean doesn’t know what he’d do without Cas, and he doesn’t want to find out.

They’re the longest few hours of Dean’s life, and finally, a doctor comes out of the room. His hair is shorn close to his scalp and he has coffee and milk skin. He looks at Gabriel as he speaks, which Dean understands. Gabe is the family. Dean’s just the boyfriend. He’s not even listed as an emergency contact just yet, although he knows that they would have gotten around to it eventually. He hopes.

“Your brother is stable,” he says, looking down at his charts. “His left leg was injured pretty badly. We did what we could. You can see him when he’s awake. One of the nurses will come to get you.” And just like that, he’s walking off. Dean supposes that when you’re working in the ER, brevity is the key. He probably has several other families to talk to, other patients to see. But Dean can’t help but feel slighted.

He and Gabriel exchange reluctantly relieved looks and settle further into their chairs. Dean only thinks now of the food sitting at home on the table as his stomach growls in hunger. Gabriel gets up without a word and disappears down the hall, coming back with an armful of candy bars. He tosses one to Dean, who would usually say something, but instead just opens it up and takes a grateful bite.

Dean’s looking at his fingers and considering licking the wrapper when a nurse comes and stands in front of them.

“Are you the family of Castiel Novak?” she asks.

“I’m his brother. Dean here’s his—“ he looks over at Dean. “—best _best_ friend.” He holds up two fingers and entwines them to show just how close Dean and Castiel are, glossing over the romantic aspect of it. Some nurses are more likely to let Dean see his boyfriend if she doesn’t think they’re getting naked and sweaty with one another, which they aren’t anyway, so he lets it slide. She motions for them to follow her, leading them to a room on a higher level where they’d moved him out of the ER.

He looks barely awake, his usually squinted eyes droopy and unfocused, but he perks up when he sees the both of them. Dean’s rushing to his side before he even thinks of it and wrapping his arms around Castiel’s neck and pressing desperate kisses to his cheeks. He’s definitely not crying.

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel says in his croaky voice, which sounds more raw than usual. Later Dean learns that they had to shove a tube down his throat during surgery to keep him breathing. It’s just so _normal_ to hear that that Dean shoves his face further into Castiel’s neck and doesn’t ever want to leave.

“You scared me so much,” he says, words muffled by the hospital gown he currently has partially in his mouth. And then he pulls back because Gabriel is complaining that he wants to smother his brother too. Dean thinks he was a second away from making a suffocation murder joke, but manages to exercise self-control for once.

That’s when Dean first notices Castiel’s left leg. Or the lack of one. It’s just not there anymore. The blanket is covering what’s left of it but he can see the dip and then the flat surface of the bed under the thin white linen. His breath catches in his throat and the tears are back in his eyes.

“Cas?” he asks. Castiel, like always, knows what he’s asking.

“It was damaged beyond repair. They removed it because it was the best course of action. It saved my life, Dean.”

“The doctor told me the driver was drunk,” Gabriel says conversationally. “He died.”

“I’m still me,” Castiel says, and Dean feels like shit for getting upset over it when it’s _Castiel’s_ leg, not Dean’s, and Cas is taking it better than he is.

“I know you are,” he says, giving Castiel a reassuring pat on the leg that isn’t gone. “Does it hurt?”

“Yes,” he says. “I’m glad you’re here. They’re fitting me for a prosthetic, and then they want to make sure that I don’t get an infection, but after that, I can go home.” Dean’s lucky, actually, that he’s jobless, because now he can stay home with Cas and take care of him, do whatever he needs done.

“I can watch the shop for however long you want, bro,” Gabriel says, nonchalant as ever.

“Thank you,” Castiel says sincerely. “You will need to help me around the house for a while Dean, is that alright?” Dean nods. Of course it is.

The nurse comes in after a while to usher them out, telling them that Castiel will still be here tomorrow, and when she isn’t looking, Dean presses a chaste kiss to Cas’s lips, promising that he’ll be back tomorrow.

He is. They talk all day and Dean blows off his last interview because Castiel is more important, and he feels good about his interview with Pamela anyway. It’s the most quality time they’ve spent together in a long time, and although Castiel is wincing and experiencing what the nurses call “phantom pains”, they have a good time together.

After a few days, he takes Cas home and settles him into their bed. He’s going to have to start driving him to the physiotherapy gym a few times a week so that he can learn to walk with prostheses, although it’s going to wait until after he’s fully healed. For now, he’s going to have to make do with crutches and Dean’s support. They’re just lucky that Castiel owning the shop means that they’ll have some amount of financial stability, although they have to close earlier and open later so that Gabriel isn’t working for ridiculous amounts of time.

Dean does his best to be a good homemaker, making Castiel all of his meals and doing everything the doctor asked him to do, but they’re both getting restless. Castiel wants his mobility back, wants to go for his runs and walks again, but Dean just wants to get out of the house. He’s never done well with being cooped up, and the tension is starting to boil over between the two of them.

“I’m not broken, Dean,” Castiel snaps at him on Wednesday of the second week of their arrangement.

“Yeah,” Dean says, “but you’re missing a piece and you can’t just go traipsing around the block!”

“I can take care of myself,” Castiel insists.

“Yeah, but you can also get yourself hit by a car.”

“The driver was _drunk,_ Dean.”

“What was your excuse?”

“What?” Dean only realizes what he’s said from the pure venom in Castiel’s voice. And then he’s crutching his way towards the door and is out of the house soon after that. Dean just sits down on the couch to stew in his own attitude.

When Castiel comes back home, he apologizes. They kiss lightly and all is well again. It seems as though everything is alright.

But then it keeps happening. Again and again. They’re at each other’s throats so much that Dean’s sleeping on the couch, even though he’s still taking care of Cas (making him food, helping him around the house, getting a handicapped thing for when they drive) it’s tense and awkward for the most part. They’re fighting more than they’re happy, and they’ve probably had more arguments in the past month than they had in their first year together.

The prosthetic for Castiel still isn’t ready, so he’s decently dependent on Dean. He starts going to see a physiotherapist to train with a prosthetic that they have. He complains that it doesn’t feel right, and that it’s uncomfortable. Dean bites his tongue.

Five weeks in, the fighting just quells. Dean’s holding Castiel again at night, and Castiel is holding him right back. They talk about it.

“I’m sorry I said all of those things to you, Cas,” Dean says one day while he’s making gilled cheese for lunch. “I didn’t mean them, you know that. It’s just so frustrating to see you going through this and I wish there was more that I could do to help.”

“I am sorry as well, Dean,” Castiel says, giving him a smile and limping over to press a kiss to his cheek and steal a piece of bread. He’s getting great at the crutches.

With everything else going on, Dean forgets about his job issue, but one day he gets a call from Pamela, and he’s hired. He drives Cas to physiotherapy that day contemplating how to break the news. Cas won’t need his help by Autumn, so that’s alright.

He tells Cas over burgers that night, made by Dean because those are Castiel’s favorite, and they kiss later, again and again, falling back into their flow


End file.
